Fun and entertaining video games are released every day in the video game industry. However, few games are able to rise above being merely entertainment. There are few titles that every true gamer must own. These games truly belong in the Criterion Collection. Here are the titles that belong on every Xbox 360 owner’s shelf.

Bioshock is the “Big Daddy” of the Xbox 360’s Criterion Collection. Set in the not so distant past, players find themselves shipwrecked in some sort of underwater pseudo-Utopian society gone horribly awry. Bioshock creates a living, breathing, and oftentimes unpredictable FPS experience. With the idealistic society crumbled, the underwater city is filled with corpses, genetically mutated citizens, and creepy little girls (trust us; it will make sense when you play it). In turn, the player must mutate himself to survive in the now dystopian underworld. Gamers are forced to make moral decisions that have a real impact on the world around them. From art design to gameplay, Bioshock has broken new ground and definitively answered the question of whether video games should be viewed as art. In Bioshock’s case, that answer is a resounding yes.

Gears of War kicked off the launch of the Xbox 360 with a bang. Set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future, “Gears” (as it is lovingly referred to) captivated 360 gamers with its gorgeous environmental graphics, a decidedly adult storyline, and tight gameplay. However, what really fascinated gamers was the title’s vicious multiplayer action, and Gears of War’s multiplayer is what still has gamers coming back to the title today. At the end of a hard day at the office, there is nothing more satisfying than taking a chainsaw to some poor sap’s cranium. 

Unquestionably, no game released on the Xbox 360 has given gamers more freedom of choice than “Oblivion.” The title has effectively raised the bar and set a new standard in the fantasy RPG genre. Set in the capital providence of Cyrodil in the kingdom Tamriel, gamers are given the task of finding the hidden heir to the thrown after Tamriel’s king has been assassinated. Without the king, the hellish gates of Oblivion have been opened. Players are given the ability to decide joining various guilds, complete quests, or wander around completing side quests. Superb voice acting and life like characters make this title stand head and shoulders above the rest. Find the hidden king or spend time stealing horses and killing small woodland creatures; the choice belongs completely to the player.

Forza Motorsport 2 is Microsoft’s answer to Sony’s extremely successful Gran Turismo series. Forza 2 sports over 60 tracks and a whopping 300+ vehicles from over 50 of the top car manufacturers. Cars can be customized down to their most minuet details both inside the hood and out. The title also allows gamers to share their creations with the world via XBL. Millions of decals, paint options, and body kits are available allowing gamers to express their creativity. With tight racing elements, true customization options, and online components, Microsoft has truly found their counter to Gran Turismo.

Valve’s Orange Box stands as the best video game compilation released to date. The Orange Box includes Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episode 1, Half Life 2: Episode 2, multiplayer Team Fortress 2, and the stunning puzzle game Portal. Five amazing games in one Orange Box is enough to make the Criterion Collection by itself, but Valve managed to update the graphics and gameplay of all of the titles to make them look and feel like new releases. Valve’s brainteaser “Portal” also stakes its claim as one of the most innovative puzzle games of all time. Any one of these games is worth $60 by itself; all of them for $60 is just ridiculous.

More of the Xbox 360’s Criterion Collection on the next page